Moving from principles to action for energy supply that mitigates
against climate change requires a long-term perspective. Energy
infrastructure takes time to build up; new energy technologies take
time to develop. Policy shifts often also need many years to take
effect. In most world regions the transformation from fossil to
renewable energies will require additional investment and higher
supply costs over about twenty years

5.5 heating supply

Today, renewables meet 39% of Israel's heat demand, almost entirely provided by solar collectors. The lack of district heating networks is a severe structural barrier to the large scale utilisation of geothermal and solar thermal energy. Dedicated support instruments are required toensure a dynamic development. In the Energy [R]evolution scenario, renewables provide 56% of Israel’s total heat demand in 2030 and 77% in 2050.

Energy efficiency measures help to reduce the currently growing energy demand for heating by 44% in 2050 (relative to the reference scenario), in spite of improving living standards.

A shift from coal and oil to natural gas in the remaining conventional applications leads to a further reduction of CO2 emissions.

Table 5.8 shows the development of the different renewable technologies for heating in Israel over time. Up to 2020 solar thermal collectors will remain the main contributors of the growing market share. After 2020, the continuing growth of solar collectors and a growing share of geothermal heat pumps will reduce the dependence on fossil fuels